Sports can significantly impact our daily lives. They can influence our worldview, mental well-being, focus, and even boost our confidence. In this article, we had the pleasure of catching up with one of our favorite individuals in the world: Woody Belfort. He is a well-known athlete, and an avid sports lover and he happens to be one of our fantastic brand ambassadors.
Woody is an adventure-seeking trendsetter, trailblazer, and stereotype breaker who would love to try every single sport that is out there and make it wheelchair-friendly. He has started a trend like rock climbing with your wheelchair on, and he has inspired other wheelchair users around the world to try it, too!
Woody has been playing sports since he was 9 years old. His longest-running sport is wheelchair basketball, and he has represented Quebec in the Canadian games. In 2019, the Quebec team, together with Woody, won the bronze medal.
Woody is a person who believes that each person creates their limits, and that’s why he insists on pushing his own, with perseverance and patience. He’s determined to break the barriers of what people believe a wheelchair user can do and destroy the stereotypes surrounding the wheelchair community.
Woody Belfort: I have always been an energetic person. Ever since I was a kid, I have been rolling everywhere and crawling everywhere. I just had too much energy. I have always pushed myself to see how fast I could roll somewhere, or if I could climb something or throw anything anywhere. I think it came naturally for me to start practicing any type of sport. It was just a given! I needed somewhere to put all that energy that I’ve always had, and sports were the perfect solution (laughs).
WB: I am so lucky to have my mom, grandma, and cousins who support me in everything I do. I mean, they do not look at everything I do, like skydiving with my wheelchair (laughs). They stress too much sometimes, but they have always been super supportive ever since I was young.
WB: The real question is what sports I have not tried (laughs). I have not surfed yet, but it is definitely on my bucket list of things to do.
WB: You can learn a lot about yourself when you practice sports. And I am not talking about just the physical aspects of sports, but also the mental and emotional aspects as well. Sports have humbled me and taught me to be resilient and constant in anything I want to accomplish, and I feel like that translates into our day-to-day lives.
As a wheelchair user, sports have taught me that I don’t need to stand behind the limitations that the world thinks we have as disabled people. On the contrary, I can push them to show the world what I am made of.
I think everyone needs to try sports at some point in their life. Sports have helped me shape the person I am today, and they have taught me values and life lessons that I use in my day-to-day life.
WB: To be honest, I do not consider myself an influencer. I only try to be what my younger self would have needed to see as an example. I know I am not that perfect example yet, but that is why I must keep pushing myself to accomplish new things. If this influences some younger generations of wheelchair users to try sports, I would be happy to be called an influencer (laughs).
WB: It allows me to have the freedom I need to try EVERYTHING. The APEX C makes a world that is only sometimes adaptable, as inclusive as possible. My wheelchair adapts to me and is the best partner in crime for all my crazy Woody adventures.
WB: It does! The APEX C is not a wheelchair designed for sports, but it allows me to try sports without needing to search for specialized equipment.
WB: The biggest plus is that my APEX C is super lightweight. It allows me to do more, push more, and accomplish more than I would with a heavier chair. Another thing that keeps on surprising me is how compact it is. I can go to places that some of my other friends who are also wheelchair users can’t because their chairs are so wide.
WB: It’s the fact that it was custom-built to fit me and match my needs, and no matter how my needs change at the moment, the chair can be adjusted to adapt to me and what I need.
WB: I keep getting better at what I am doing. It is motivating to see my progress and that’s what keeps me going back to practicing sports.
Another thing that keeps me motivated is realizing that I can push people to try something new and show them that they are capable of accomplishing more than they think. The look on their face when they realize what they just did is the biggest reward I could ask for!
WB: The biggest stereotype that I get all the time is fully abled people who believe that we, as wheelchair users, are fragile creatures. That we need help with everything when, in fact, we are independent.
I have found that the best way to fight this stereotype is just to continue with my life and continue showcasing what I do on social media.
WB: Make sure to pick one with a good pivot and one that is pretty durable (check the materials of what it is made of) because you will want one for the long run, not the short run.
WB: If you are nervous, that means you should try it! Just go for it and have fun.
If you're a fan of Woody and would like to keep up with his latest projects, you can catch him as a series regular in the Quebec TV show "Indefendable," where he plays the role of Big Al (2024). You can also watch his documentary "Woody: gagner ou apprendre" (Woody: win or learn) on Ami-Télé (2024). (Please note that the documentary is only available in French). Finally, we recommend following Woody on social media so you don't miss out on any of his Woody Adventures in his APEX C.
